How do contemporary engineers, technologists and other design professionals think about the relationship between ethics and design? Design is not simply about making objects or improving the customer’s experience, but also about restructuring the conditions of human and nonhuman life. Seen from this broader perspective, design lies at the heart of most of our current debates on social equality, cultural diversity, and environmental justice. In this course, our goal is to move beyond a view of design ethics as a reflection of the individual designer's intentions and responsibility. We will thus consider the extent to which professional codes of ethics, while perhaps being indispensable to modern professional associations, are useful for understanding the complex issues emerging in design practices. Moving the focus from the individual designer to historical and social contexts, we will think about the kinds of politics and communities that design practices can make possible.
DEV 530: Ethics and Social Justice in Science, Engineering, and Development
Department